Solar collector devices, constituted by a generally rectangular structure on which photovoltaic cells are fixed, and maneuvered both in azimuth and in elevation by tracking mechanisms, are already known. Such devices are described, in particular, in patent documents FR-A-2 415 271 and FR-A-2 418 912.
Such solar collectors suffer from several drawbacks. For example, it has been observed that planar automatic-tracking solar collectors installed in zones which are exposed to the wind withstand wind poorly, even when the panels are installed in so-called "safe" positions--the a horizontal position or a vertical position with the panel free to swing flag-like--since these positions do not protect them from turbulent wind.
The solar collector device described in patent document FR-A-2 544 551 is a first attempt to eliminate these drawbacks. This device comprises an assembly constituted by two rectangular horizontally elongated panels, fixed to the front and rear faces of a roof-shaped structure. Only the panel fixed to the front face is used as a solar collector, the other panel fixed to the rear face serving merely to protect the overall device from the wind. This device also includes orientation mechanisms in azimuth keeping the front panel, whose inclination on the other hand remains fixed, facing the sun.
Such a device has the advantage, among many others, of withstanding wind well, but its production of electricity, although being large compared with that of most other tracking solar collectors, is nevertheless limited by virtue of the facts that the device exposes only one of its panels to the sun, and that the panel is not inclinable.
Thus, returning to the design of the device as described in document FR-A-2 554 551, the inventor has set out to improve its production of electricity without losing its other advantages.
The improved solar collector resulting from this research and constituting the subject matter of the present invention has fully achieved its objective, since the advantages of the earlier device are now combined with highly significant other advantages, including an increase in its electricity production by more than double.
This new collector reuses some of the elements of the earlier device: in particular its structure is still roofshaped and continues to serve as a support for two panels corresponding to its front and rear faces; these panels are still in the form of elongated rectangles; the structure continues to be maneuvered in azimuth by orientation mechanisms which are comparable in design and operation to those of the earlier device and likewise intended to keep its front face in the direction of the sun.